Creative Stuff & Birthday Dinner

I can't believe it's been two weeks since I updated my blog, but that is what happens when summer is over. It seems that with cooler temperatures we all come back to life and get really busy with meeting up with friends, going into town, going out for walks. In short, we love being able to be outside again without melting!

It also means though that computer time is cut short. And that means that I'm behind on e-mails and blog visits. I think I'll try adopting a once-a-week-blog-post approach for the rest of the year (which I can already see getting busy with fun stuff) and see how that works. Flexibility is the key, I think!

I have been so busy with creative projects and it has been beyond fun for me. In this post, I'll share a couple of my latest paintings, which have sold already. I'm working on another one and will maybe get that done today.  I'll also show you some of my recent sewing projects.

My art continues to excite me, especially since I work so intuitively for most of the painting and never know where it will lead. Fun!!

So, yesterday was Daniel's birthday and I planned a surprise dinner with some friends for him.

Because we've all been to Spain, I decided to make paella (the real thing!) and a few tapas for appetizers.  I was so nervous and really studied quite a few paella recipes and then put together my own combination of ingredients.

I finished these little clutches last week to send to a boutique in Texas to hopefully sell for me. They turned out beautifully, although I have to admit I am still a bit insecure about my sewing.

Speaking of sewing, just in time for the dinner I finished sewing these fun placemats. Each one is different and they all make for a happy table, don't they?  

And the paella? It was perfect and delicious!! I had bought the real paella rice for it and added chorizo, chicken, prawns, squid and clams. I was so relieved it turned out well!

For his birthday, I got Daniel (well, us really) a fire pit for the backyard. We've talked about it for a long time and I figured we'll make great use of it all winter long.

And as you can see, we tried it out last night. It was perfect! Even Winslow joined us for some conversation (although I suspect he was more intent on checking out dessert!).

It was one of those evenings that is just rich with all the good stuff: friends, family, laughter, good food, perfect weather and simply spending time together. In the end, those are the things that matter, aren't they?!

Sending you love and joy on this beautiful Thursday!

❧ Silke
P.S. I made a fantastic Sangria to go with the dinner.

P.P.S. It may be responsible for the slight headache I have this morning...

P.P.P.S. It was totally worth it! 

European Beauty - Amsterdam (Part 1)

Dear friends, we are enjoying the most amazing fall weather at the moment and it reminds me of our vacation in Europe. So I thought it was time to share some more photos.

We spent two days in Amsterdam, one of the most beautiful large European cities. And we were lucky in that the weather was gorgeous!

We went to visit one of our dearest friends who now lives in Amsterdam. Raina and I sat next to each other in statistics class in San Jose, CA, 24 ago, which really is ironic considering the non-statistic creative lives we both live today. She, Daniel and I quickly become great friends, a friendship that has lasted all this time... It was wonderful seeing her!

The other treat was that my cousin was able to take time off work and come with us. It's always wonderful being able to spend a little extra time together as my time in Europe is usually so packed and limited!

Now, just enjoy the photos from our first day in Amsterdam on a perfect summer's day!

We played tourist and went on one of the boat tours, which was fantastic! Amsterdam is crisscrossed by canals everywhere and taking a boat tour is one of the best ways to see much of the old and new buildings.

Above is the EYE Film Institute.  I love the architecture!

 And here the NEMO Science Center. Another great building.

Stay tuned to Part II.

Wishing you a gorgeous Sunday!! May it be relaxing and fun...

❧ Silke

Godspeed, Dear Friend!

"Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes. Because for those who love with heart and soul there is no such thing as separation."

~ Rumi

Yesterday, my dearest friend Anne passed away peacefully after living with cancer for many months.

Through it all, she never lost her incredible sense of humor, her zest for life and her loving concern for her family and friends.

She continued to make art when she had the energy,

to knit and read when she needed to rest,

and to inspire the rest of us all the time!

Yesterday when I was focused on my loss, I felt great sadness.

Today I am able to focus on your journey, Anne, and your new adventure and I can feel your joy!

Fly free, dear friend! And so long.

Until we meet again....

❧ Silke

Savannah with Friends

It sure is fun living in a city that is such a tourist destination. You'd think it's the nearby beach that draws people, but that's only partly true.

Of course, we had to plan a beach day with our friends while they were here and luckily enough, it was quite warm. The air, that is, not so much the water, but the two brave men went swimming anyway!

The next day, we decided to tour Savannah a bit and even as locals, we found the city to be stunning! Awash in color as all the azaleas were suddenly in bloom, something I wish my aunt could have seen, but they visited just a tad too early.

This picture of us in the flowers we took for her!

Jim and Tia had both read (actually, Tia was in the middle of it) Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, a wonderful non-fiction book about Savannah, it's people and an incident that happened in the mansion below.

So, while Jim and Tia went on a tour of the house (which we had done before), Daniel and I sat in Monterey square and just reveled in the beauty all around us.

I think the 24 squares in Savannah are one of my favorite aspects of this beautiful town. All of them are well-maintained and wonderful to sit down for a spell.

Our next stop - Forsythe Park with the gorgeous fountain still sporting green water from St. Patrick's Day earlier that week.

I think I like it better with clear water, but this certainly makes a statement.

I wonder if they've cleared the water by now...

After that, food and drink were on the agenda with a stop at our favorite roof-top bar where you have the best view of the harbor.

We look like happy girls, don't we?

The weather was perfect with just the slightest breeze - we could have stayed for hours...

Later that night - dinner at Blowin' Smoke BBQ, a great place we just discovered recently. Double yum!! It turns out that our (very sweet) waitress was planning a summer working in northern New Mexico, so we had fun chatting with her about all she can do there and places she can visit. She was kind enough to take this picture of all of us - full and happy!

But definitely not too full for a visit to Leopold's Ice Cream. The ice cream is to die for and the the place itself so much fun. The owner, a native of Savannah, is a Hollywood producer, so the whole ice cream parlor is filled with movie props and great posters and photos.

A sweet ending to a fun visit!!

Tomorrow, I'll have photos of Fort Sumter and Charleston for you - it was too much to include it all with this post...

Happy Saturday!!